Greetings from the home office - Episode 32: Fabian Zürcher, Ringier Brand Studio

Fabian Zürcher is Head of Brand Studio at Ringier, which creates campaigns and content for clients. Before setting up the studio at the end of 2016, the 42-year-old was Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Blick.ch and Blick am Abend at the Blick Group. Before that, he was Deputy Head of Entertainment and Editor-in-Chief of BLICK a.i. at Ringier.

How long have you been in a home office?

Since March 8.

Is your entire agency located in a home office?

Yes, before March 8 already a week in the team split.

Did you face any technical problems when setting up your workstation back then?

No. I've had Internet at home for quite some time.

Where have you set up?

I switch back and forth between the kids' playroom and dining table.

What all do you need to be able to do your job?

Laptop, internet, telephone. Very much to eat and run. Trainer pants hamster purchases I made in time.

Is it difficult to separate yourself enough when the children are at home?

Since my girlfriend also works full-time and is also in calls a lot, home and office sometimes get in the way. And the increased dose of "Paw Patrol" certainly doesn't make the little ones any smarter. At the same time, of course, it's nice to have the kids around so much. You also have to make a call on the playground.

Do you have home office experience or is this a first?

A year and a half ago, I worked from Chicago for four months. That was much more strenuous with the time difference.

Which processes are difficult compared to normal everyday work?

There are no more opportunities to talk door-to-door, so organization takes a little more time. And editing print magazines is easier when you physically hold the pages in your hand.

Which jobs go smoothly?

The content, creative, strategic - actually all of them. The team is very independent and simply very good, otherwise things wouldn't run so smoothly. And customer meetings via video calls work wonderfully. Calls also seem to be getting shorter in general, which is a very pleasant development.

Is there anything that even works easier or more productively in the home office?

Despite children, the distractions at home are often smaller than in the office. You can work with more focus and get more done in less time.

What do they do about the ceiling falling on your head?

Jogging in the morning, wine in the evening. And to move when possible during phone calls.

Has something like home office jitters started to set in for you?

The measures mentioned above are working wonderfully. But when I had to go to the office the other day, I was really looking forward to it. Accordingly, I'm looking forward to the normal office routine even more.

What do you miss most about the physical day-to-day life at the agency?

The people and the spontaneous exchange with them. A silly quip here, a little joke there. The daily team calls can't replace that.

Are you confident that your company will come through the crisis unscathed?

There are certainly scratches at Brand Studio, but fortunately we are very broadly positioned: Corporate storytelling, branded content, creation, contextual advertising, video & motion design, print magazines ... The very diverse client portfolio also helps.

As we all know, everything has its positive sides. What is it in your current home office situation?

You can question yourself and your strategy, discover new fields and develop business ideas. Otherwise, you often don't have the distance to do that. That's good. And, as I mentioned, more time with the family.

When and why did you last laugh in connection with the home office?

On Friday, when a colleague tried one filter after another in the team video call:

Snapcamera.snapchat.com

Today the reason will probably be my new snazzy short haircut.